


These walls that hold us

by cellostiel



Category: X-Ray & Vav (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Blood, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Torture, brief depictions of torture
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-05
Updated: 2015-11-06
Packaged: 2018-04-24 21:32:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,978
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4936114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cellostiel/pseuds/cellostiel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Vav frowns, his back complaining as he turns onto his side, facing the wall. If Mogar <i>is</i> injured, it's not as though he'll admit it. And even if he did, there's nothing Vav can do about it. He's useless in here - all he can do is wait.</p><p>~</p><p>Vav is captured by the Mad King and thrown into a cell with Mogar. Can the two put aside their differences to work together and escape?</p><p>(canon divergent after s2e4)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Day One

**Author's Note:**

> This was entirely plotted out before s2e5 aired & like fuck I'm gonna completely rework this to fit it so au where instead of teaming up with the Mad King, Mogar figured out he was the one responsible for Mogar's mum's disappearance on his own & decided to take him down, accidentally freeing him in the process. Or alternatively if this does somehow end up being canon compliant then just ignore all this. /shrug
> 
> Also **(SPOILERS)** au where I didn't FUCKING CALL IT and Mogar's mum isn't a fucking cow
> 
> Huuuuge thanks to my best friend angrygoomba for helping me with this!! You can also thank them for the awesome title!
> 
> Warnings in future chapters for brief depictions of violence and torture. More detailed warnings will be at the end notes of those chapters for those who need it. More tags will be added as needed with future chapters.

Vav lands hard on his back as he's tossed into the cell; someone lands next to him, catching their own fall with a growl. Vav lies there, groaning, as Mogar launches to his feet. The metal door slams in Mogar's face as he lunges at it, and he slams against it, snarling as his hands grip the bars of the small window.

"Now, now," Haywood tuts, grinning at them through the window. "You'll get out of here in due time. Until then, I suggest you make yourselves comfortable." With a smirk, he shuts the window, and his footsteps echo down the hall.

Mogar roars, slamming his fists against the door. "Damn it!"

Vav groans again, his back aching, and Mogar whirls on him.

"You." he seethes, his eyes narrowing. "This is _your_ fault."

"What?" Vav sputters, sitting up slowly on his elbows. "How is this my fault?"

"I had him!" Mogar yells, stepping towards him. "If you hadn't gotten in the way, he would be dead!"

"Exactly!" Vav shouts back. "We don't kill people!"

 _"You_ don't." Mogar spits. "Mogar does not abide by such rules."

"Well, sorry if I don't want to live with someone's blood on my hands!"

"It wasn't your hands that would be bloodied!"

"Fine!" Vav snaps. "I don't want you to have to live with someone's blood on your hands, either!"

Mogar falters, his glare losing some of its heat. He shifts back, eyes flitting over Vav warily. "Why do you care."

Vav curls his hands into fists, frowning deeply. "No one should have to have to bear the weight of knowing they killed someone."

Scowling, Mogar looks away. "Too late."

Vav's face twists, and opens his mouth to say something to that, but before he can, Mogar busies himself examining their cell. Vav shuts his mouth and twists his head around to take a look as well. It's a plain concrete room, a tiny cot and a toilet in the back corners. There's a barred window near the top of the wall opposite the door, with wired glass behind the bars. So, basically, a dingy cell. That Vav is now stuck in for the foreseeable future. With Mogar. Lovely.

"I'm sorry." Vav says, laying back and  tilting his head to look at Mogar, who pauses in his inspection of the window. Mogar turns his head a bit towards him, and Vav continues, "I didn't mean to screw things up for you. I thought the Mad King was already unconscious, so we'd be able to detain him without incident. Clearly I was wrong. For that, I'm truly sorry."

Mogar is silent for a minute, then nods his head slightly. "I acknowledge your apology."

"Well, good." Vav looks down at himself, sighing at his current state. They took his gloves and infini-undies before tossing them in here, and with his back so sore, he's worse than useless now.

"Are you injured?" Mogar asks, turning towards Vav and peering down at him.

"Uh, maybe?" Vav says uncertainly. "I landed kind of hard on my back. That can't be good."

Mogar rounds to his side and crouches next to him. "Can you move?"

Vav tries to sit up all the way. Fuck, that hurts. He drops back down to the ground with a grunt.

"Not without hurting myself."

Mogar nods, looking Vav over. His eyes wander to the cot on Vav's right. "Will moving you exacerbate the injury?"

"Yeah, uh, I don't think so? I didn't become paralyzed from sitting up, so it should be fine."

Mogar nods and scoops him up, depositing him on the cot. It's barely padded and smells like piss and sweat, but it's better for his back, at least. Well, Vav hopes it is.

"We will get out of here." Mogar says, examining the ceiling.

"I hope so." Vav says. "The Mad King is seriously weird. He's got this, like, cow fetish or something? Or maybe it's a murder fetish. Either way it's creepy and weird and I want no part of it."

Mogar grunts, moving around the room again. Every few seconds he sniffs, his nose usually scrunching in disgust afterwards. Vav watches him, frowning.

"Were you really raised by animals?" Vav blurts. Mogar looks at him with a raised brow.

"What?"

"Well, Rusty - a friend of mine, that is - he has this file on you, and it's got all these rumors, and one of them is that you were raised in the woods by, like, bears, or wolves, or something. And I was just, well, wondering - is that true?"

Mogar huffs, lowering himself to the floor. He crosses his legs under him and leans back against the wall, giving Vav a flat look. "Why does it matter."

"Um, well, it doesn't, I guess." Vav admits, shrugging. "I'm just curious." Mogar tilts his head, brow furrowing.

"Why?"

Vav laughs. "Hell if I know. But you're interesting, Mogar. I wanna know more about you." Vav offers him a smile, and Mogar's face softens with surprise. Emboldened, Vav continues, "Like, is your name really Mogar?"

Mogar looks away, eyes locking onto the door. His eyes narrow, and his hands curl into fists on his knees.

"Sleep." he says. "You will need your rest to heal your back." Through the window, Vav can see the sky changing colors with the setting sun, casting the room in an orange glow.

"Um, okay." Vav shifts on the cot, trying to get comfortable. Mogar sits perfectly still across the room, completely focused on the door. His war paint is smudged from the fight, and as the room darkens, Vav can see a soft glow peeking out from under the bandages wrapped around Mogar's chest. Come to think of it, Mogar's blood glowed in the restaurant, didn't it? Is he still bleeding, or did he get hurt again?

Vav frowns, his back complaining as he turns onto his side, facing the wall. If Mogar _is_ injured, it's not as though he'll admit it. And even if he did, there's nothing Vav can do about it. He's useless in here - all he can do is wait.

 

~

 

The cot creaks under him, and Vav cracks his eyes open. He feels a hand on his back, pressing down gently, and he hisses as his back protests. In just a few moments, though, the pain fades, and warmth seeps into his back as a soft orange glow fills the room.

Vav sighs, relaxing, and his eyes flutter shut. The hand on his back rubs up and down his spine a few times, then pauses at the nape of his neck.

The owner of the hand sighs, and their hand retreats. Vav tries to roll over and look at them, but his body is heavy with sleep and warmth. Finally he gives up and relaxes into the cot. It creaks again as the person gets up, and a chill passes over Vav before sleep drags him under.


	2. Days Two and Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "What do you think he's going to do to us?" Vav asks quietly. Across the room, Mogar looks up. 
> 
> "Kill us, most likely."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YOOOOOO HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME LET'S KICK THIS SHIT OFF WITH A NEW CHAPTER
> 
> All the thanks to my lovely best friend angrygoomba for helping me with this story!! Love you, babe <33
> 
> Only warning for this chapter is a brief description of Mogar's glowing blood.

Vav rolls over with a yawn, cracking open sleep caked eyes to peer at his surroundings. He's confused for a long moment when gray walls greet him instead of the soft blue of his room.

Yesterday's memories flood back into him, and he sits up with a jolt. Mogar glances over at him disinterestedly, still in the same spot as last night.

"You're up." he says.

"Uh, yeah." Vav says, rubbing his eyes. "Did I miss anything?"

"They brought us food." Mogar gestures to two trays lying next to the door. "If you can call it that," he scoffs.

Vav drops his legs off the side of the cot, stretching his arms over his head with a groan. He pauses, arms still in the air, as he realizes his back doesn't hurt.

Laughing, Vav hops to his feet and twists his torso back and forth. "It's a bloody miracle!" he exclaims. Mogar looks at him oddly. "My back feels fine! Bloody hell, you'd think that cot would've been absolute murder on my spine." Vav leans forward, trying to touch his toes. He can almost touch his ankles.

"Good." Mogar says. Vav looks up at him, but he's still staring at the door, expression serious. "You will need your strength."

Vav hums, straightening and walking over to the trays. Both are untouched, and he tsks, looking at Mogar. "So do you."

Mogar huffs. "Like I could get strength from that slop." He wrinkles his nose and turns it up at the tray like a finicky cat. Vav huffs a laugh.

"It's still food." he says, picking up both trays and approaching the bear man. "And super-powered bear-man or not, you need to eat." He holds out the tray with a smile, and Mogar eyes him warily before accepting it. Vav grins and sits down across from Mogar, mirroring his position with his tray on his lap.

Mogar lifts his sandwich to inspect it up close, taking a cautious sniff before rearing back. Vav lets out another laugh and takes a bite of his own sandwich. It tastes like sandpaper and old mustard, but Vav eats with vigor, having forgotten to eat dinner last night in his rush to find Mogar and assist and/or save him. At least the apple slices aren't half bad. Maybe a bit mushy in places, but still.

"How did you find me?" Mogar asks.

"Huh? Oh, it was simple! Rusty heard the Mad King had escaped, and we, uh…" Vav laughs nervously, setting his food down. "We may have, uh, taken your journal accidentally, when we burned your house down - also accidentally." he hurries to add. Mogar narrows his eyes. "Anyway, the journal had this letter from the Mad King in it, and we kind of put two-and-two together. Figured you'd go after him."

"I see." Mogar says, staring down at his tray. "Why was the green one not with you?"

"X-Ray? He, uh, thought we should just leave you to it; hope you'd kill him. I couldn't do that. I had to help."

"You need to stop helping me." Mogar growls.

"I know." Vav says, smiling ruefully. "All we do is fuck things up for you." He sighs, looking down at his own tray. "It's just- you don't have to do this alone, you know?"

"I'm not alone." Mogar insists.

"Well, not right now, but-"

"Not _you._ I have Kablooie."

"Kablooie?"

Mogar nods. "She and my mother are the only ones I have ever counted on."

"Then… where is she?"

Mogar's eyes dart to the door for a split second. "I don't know."

"Well, maybe she or X-Ray will break us out of here!"

Looking down at his food, Mogar says, "I doubt it."

"Hey, don't be like that, Mogar! X-Ray is really good, and Kablooie must be bloody amazing if you count on her! They'll get us out of this, I know it."

Mogar's face darkens. "You should not count on others for everything."

"Well, yeah, but I don't think we'll be able to get out of this on our own."

"Not if you continue to doubt yourself."

Vav sighs, shrugging. "Yeah, maybe."

They lapse into silence, eating their food. When he's done, Vav sets his tray by the door and goes to sit on the cot. Mogar eventually drops his tray onto the floor, and he stays in that same spot for the next few hours, staring at the door.

At what is probably noon, two more trays slide through the little flap at the bottom of the door. Vav brings Mogar his tray, but retreats to the cot to eat his own food.

Vav is about halfway through the small bottle of water that comes with their food when he realizes he has a problem.

Fuck, how are they going to do this? Yeah, he could ask Mogar to look away, but still! This is going to be bloody awkward.

"Um, Mogar?" he says tentatively. Mogar tilts his head to show he's heard. "We have a bit of a situation."

Fully turning his gaze to Vav, Mogar frowns. "What kind of situation? Are you ill?"

"No, no, it's just- well…"

Mogar sniffs the air, and his expression falls flat. "You have to urinate."

Vav's face is on fire. "Yes."

"Then go."

"But- but it's awkward!"

"I don't see how. I had no troubles going last night."

Vav pauses, glancing between Mogar and the toilet. "You… you went in the loo, right-"

"Yes, I went in the bowl!" Mogar snaps. "I'm not some bear in the woods, okay? I do know how a toilet works."

"Right, sorry." Vav says, laughing awkwardly.

"Just fucking piss and get it over with." Mogar looks back to the door, and Vav nods, standing and shuffling towards the toilet.

"Could you, uh, maybe turn more towards the door?" he asks. Mogar glances at him, rolls his eyes, then shifts so his back is fully facing Vav.

Vav kind of wishes he were wearing normal clothes now. The super suit is one piece, so he has to pull it down his arms and chest to get access to the crotch. He and Ray have been meaning to talk to Hilda about that, actually.

At least there's a tiny sink with a bar of soap above the toilet, so he won't have to walk around with dirty hands. That's something, right?

Vav coughs awkwardly as he pulls his suit back up. "You can, uh, you can look now."

Mogar leans back against the wall, and Vav returns to the cot, his face hot from embarrassment. Mogar doesn't seem at all concerned, though, all of his focus on the door. Vav wishes he had something to occupy him like that.

 

By the time their dinner is pushed through the door, Vav is going out of his wits.

He can feel Mogar's eyes on him as he paces the room, trying to do what he does best - plan. But without his gloves and infini-undies, there's nothing he can do. And from what he read of Mogar's journal, he can't really count on Mogar's super strength or healing either. Oh, that reminds him!

"Mogar, are you injured?" he asks, turning to look at him. Mogar looks up from inspecting a spoonful of something that looks like oatmeal.

"No." He drops his eyes from Vav and shovels food into his mouth.

"But it looked like you were bleeding earlier." Vav persists, sitting in front of him. He reaches for the bandages around Mogar's chest, but Mogar grabs his hand and levels him with a glare.

"I am uninjured." he says, voice hard. "You are imagining things." He drops Vav's hand harshly, and Vav backs off, rubbing his wrist.

"Okay. If you say so."

Mogar huffs, leaning against the wall and looking back to the door. "Go to sleep. It is late." Vav looks at the window and finds the sky starting to color purple.

"Fine. Whatever you say, Mogar." he sighs, moving to the cot. "Good night."

The sun has long ago set, leaving the room in darkness, when Vav thinks he hears Mogar mumble, "Good night, Vav." Vav can't help a smile as shifts his head against the thin pillow, getting comfortable.

 

~

 

Vav opens his eyes to a warm, orange light filling the room. It's not morning yet, is it?

Vav yawns and rolls over, looking for the source of the light. Across the room, he can make out Mogar's form, still sat in that spot between the toilet and the door, hunched over.

As Vav watches, Mogar removes his hand from his stomach, and more of that orange light pours into the room from a gash in his abdomen.

Mogar curses quietly, holding up his hand. It glows orange too, but more faintly. The light drips down his hand, liquid, trailing down his arm.

Mogar presses his hand back to the wound, and the light dims. He hunches over further, still muttering curses.

Vav wants to say something, offer help, but… it feels like he's intruding, somehow. Mogar was so adamant about being fine earlier, how would he react if he knew Vav was seeing him like this, when he's so obviously vulnerable?

He watches Mogar rewrap his glowing wound for another minute, then rolls back over, giving Mogar his privacy.

 

~

 

"What do you think he's going to do to us?" Vav asks quietly. Across the room, Mogar looks up.

"Kill us, most likely."

"Great." Vav slumps against the wall, poking miserably at his breakfast.

After a pause, Mogar adds, "If we're lucky, there won't be torture." It almost sounds like he's trying to be reassuring. Vav snorts.

"Well, there's that, at least."

"I wouldn't worry; it's me he wants. If he has any semblance of honor, then he will reward you for sparing his life. And he'll kill me for trying to kill him."

Vav gasps, looking up at Mogar. His head is down, hands curled into fists on his lap. "That's awful!" Vav cries. "I won't let him do that to you!"

Mogar snorts, smiling wryly. "And how will you stop him?"

"I'll- I'll find a way! I won't let him kill you, Mogar."

"Even if it cost you your life?" Mogar looks up, meeting Vav's eyes. His gaze is challenging, and Vav puffs out his chest.

"Even if it cost me my life." Vav repeats, determined. "I'd save you, Mogar, using everything in my power."

Mogar huffs a laugh, looking back down at his lap. "I'm sure you would."

"I absolutely would."

"Then you are a fool." Mogar mutters.

"If wanting to save someone's life makes me a fool, then damn straight I am." Vav crosses his arms, meeting Mogar's gaze head on.

Mogar looks Vav over, eyes narrowed. After a moment, he sighs and looks at the door. "Then so be it."

 

~

 

Vav is half asleep, trying to chase away nightmares of torture and brutal things done to him and Mogar. The cot creaks underneath him, and a hand rests on his shoulder. Instantly he feels calm.

"Fool." the owner of the hand mumbles. Vav is sure it's Mogar this time, but is this really happening? Vav has been known to have some strange dreams.

The hand slips away, but this time Mogar stays.

Vav is almost back asleep when he hears, "What am I doing?" It sounds so lost, and Vav's heart aches.

Keeping his eyes closed, Vav rolls over and throws his arm out. It lands on Mogar's lap, and he goes stock-still under it.

After a long few minutes of silence, Mogar relaxes, and Vav feels fingers gently card through his hair.

"You'll regret this." The words are barely there, but Vav wonders what Mogar means as he drifts off.


	3. Day Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "W-what- what are you going to do to us?" Vav stammers.  
>   
> "Revenge, my dear Vav." Haywood says, gripping Vav's jaw. "I'm going to get my revenge."
> 
> ~
> 
> Haywood finally pays them a visit, shit happens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> undynelaugh.png lolll it's been like a month since the last chapter whoops. don't ya hate when the season ends and all your motivation and inspiration goes right out the window
> 
> not beta'd bc fuck that im tired and I wanna post a chapter bc I like this story and I wanna see it through. 
> 
> warning in this chapter for a brief description of torture and some blood. did I put that in the tags already? if not I'll add them. see the end notes for a more detailed warning

When Vav wakes up, Mogar is on the other side of the room - in the same spot as the last three days, still having a staring contest with the door.

Vav props himself up on his elbows and looks around, finding his breakfast tray on the floor next to the cot. Glancing over at Mogar, he spots the other tray sitting empty at Mogar's side.

"Was I out for a long time?" Vav asks, sitting up and reaching for the tray. Mogar nods.

"Nothing new happened while you were asleep. Otherwise I would have woken you."

"Oh. Good. Uh, thank you." Mogar nods again.

Vav eats his food slowly, trying to ration it out like Mogar has been telling him to. Is it just him, or is Mogar trying not to look at him today?

Nah, he must be imagining it. Just like that dream last night.

Absentmindedly, Vav puts a hand over the shoulder that Mogar touched in the dream. It all felt so real…

But Mogar doesn't do touchy-feely crap like that. And he may be super-powered, but he doesn't have magic, nightmare-eradicating hands.

He doesn't, right?

Lunch rolls around, and Vav eyes Mogar as he gets up to retrieve the food. Mogar brings him a tray, but Vav puts a hand on his arm instead of the tray. Mogar looks almost alarmed as his eyes dart up to meet Vav's.

"Hey, why don't you sit over here?" Vav suggests. Mogar's wide eyes flit from Vav to the cot, Vav's hand, then back to Vav. Vav offers a small smile.

"Why." Mogar asks tersely.

"Well, I was thinking it can't be comfortable, sitting on the floor all the time." Vav says. "Take a break and sit here with me." He pats the cot with his free hand to emphasize.

Mogar looks at the cot as though it will bite him.

"I'm fine." he says.

"At least sit on the floor here, then? I'm getting lonely, sitting over here all by myself."

Watching Vav warily, Mogar slowly sits next to the cot.

"So," Vav says, accepting his tray. "Awfully boring just sitting here in silence, isn't it?" Mogar shrugs. "Can I ask you some things?"

Mogar glances up at him, then at the door, says, "Depends."

"Well, uh, have you lived in the woods your whole life?"

"Not answering."

"Oh. Okay, then. Have you ever watched TV?"

There's a long pause, but Mogar answers, "No."

"But you know what it is?"

"Mother told me." Looking up at Vav, he says, "I'm not as depraved of knowledge as you think."

"Right, sorry." Vav chuckles apologetically. Mogar shrugs and looks back to his food. Vav chews his lip,  thinking, then presses, "I'm guessing from the fact that you have a journal that you know how to read?" Mogar nods. "Did your mother teach you that, too?"

Mogar snorts. "No, the wolves did."

"What, really?"

"No."

"Oh, duh." Vav laughs at himself. "Did she teach you sarcasm, too?"

"No, that I learned all on my own." Mogar turns to Vav with a smirk.

"Ass." Vav says, shoving Mogar's shoulder. Mogar growls, and Vav yelps, retracting his hand quickly. "Sorry, sorry!" he says. Then Mogar breaks out into a grin, and Vav gasps. "You're an asshole!" he laughs. Something like a chuckle leaves Mogar's mouth, but it's cut short as the cell door unlocks with a _clunk._

The door opens, and Mogar is instantly on his feet, smile slipping from his face as he moves to the center of the room. Haywood strolls in, an unnerving smile on his face as the door shuts behind him.

"Oh, I don't mean to interrupt. Please, do continue." he says, eyes calculating as they move between the two.

"What do you want?" Mogar growls, hands curling into fists.

"Nothing from you, I'm afraid." Haywood says, tilting his head at Mogar. "At least, not right now. Him, however…" His eyes flick to Vav, and a shiver runs through the hero.

"He is of no use to you." Mogar says. "He is nothing but an idiot pretending to be a hero."

"Maybe so." Haywood says, stepping towards Vav. "But I think he has exactly what I need." He reaches out to cup Vav's face.

"Unhand him!" Mogar snarls, charging at them. However he stops short, frozen mid-step just a foot away from Haywood. Haywood smirks.

"Interesting bit of technology, those gloves of yours." he says. "Took a while to crack and re-engineer, but well worth the wait, wouldn't you say?"

"W-what- what are you going to do to us?" Vav stammers.

"Revenge, my dear Vav." Haywood says, gripping Vav's jaw. "I'm going to get my revenge."

He lets go of Vav's jaw suddenly, exchanging it for a grip on Vav's hair, and starts dragging him out of the room. The door opens, and Mogar drops back into regular motion, slamming against the cot. He's up in an instant, running at the door. Haywood slams it in his face.

"Don't worry, Mogar." he says sweetly, leaning up to the small barred window. "I'll have him back soon enough. In one piece… more or less."

Mogar spits in his face.

Scowling, Haywood wipes away the spit. "Now, that was rude. Tase him."

One of the guards shoves a cattle prod through a flap in the door, and Mogar cries out in pain.

"Mogar!" Vav yells, struggling in Haywood's grip. The other guard grabs Vav's wrists and restrains them behind his back.

"You," Mogar pants, leaning against the door as the cattle prod is pulled away. "You will pay."

"Careful, Mogar." Haywood sneers. "Wouldn't want to exacerbate that little knife wound of yours, now, would we?

"Bastard." Mogar spits.

"Oh, I know I am. But what can you do?" Haywood shrugs and starts to drag Vav down the hall.

"Vav! Do not panic!" Mogar yells after them. "Just remain calm! Whatever you do, do not t-" The door window is slid shut with a loud clang, cutting off Mogar's words and muffling his voice.

Haywood throws Vav into a room down the hall. Vav lands on his face, and pain shoots through his nose. He coughs and splutters as blood starts gushing from his nose, running down his throat when Haywood grabs his hair again and tugs his head up and back.

"Oh, did that hurt you? What a shame, I was hoping to drag out the fear and uncertainty a little longer." He lets go, and Vav turns his head so he lands on his cheek. "Well, it can't be helped now. We'll just have to roll with it."

Haywood leaves him on the floor as he moves around the room. From what Vav can see, it's exactly the same as the cell he and Mogar are being kept in.

The distinct sound of metal sliding against a sharpening stone sends a violent shiver through Vav. Haywood laughs coldly.

"Oh, Vav, you're so easy." A hand grips Vav's arm harshly, dragging him to his feet by it. "It's almost no fun at all."

Haywood shoves Vav down onto a cot, and his hand moves to grip Vav's shoulder, keeping him in place as Haywood presses a knife under his jaw.

"Tell me, Vav, do you think Mogar will crumble this easily when I get to him?" Haywood asks, dragging the knife along Vav's jaw. "You think I could get him trembling in fear like this as quickly? I wonder... under that tough, wild warrior façade, if Mogar is a screamer." Haywood is practically purring, and Vav flinches.

Haywood hums, tilting his head. "No, I think that's just you, Vav. You know, part of me wants to cut out your tongue, but then what would Mogar have to listen to while we're having our fun?"

"You're- you're not going to break us." Vav stammers, struggling to speak past the blood running down his face. "Whatever information you're trying to get from us, you won't get it."

"Oh, Vav." Haywood croons, tilting Vav's head up with the knife. "You severely misunderstand my intentions."

Lighting fast, Haywood slices the knife across Vav's shoulder. Vav screams, curling in on himself in pain. Haywood puts a hand on Vav's head, petting him.

"Very good, Vav. Keep that up."

Vav hardly has time to catch his breath before pain cuts across his shoulder blade.

 

~

 

Vav's left shoulder throbs with pain as one of the guards hauls him back down the hall. The slashes have scabbed over by now, but Haywood kept digging the hilt of the knife into them periodically until Vav was sure they must have the ugliest bruises surrounding them.

He doesn't know quite how long Haywood stood over him, digging into just that one shoulder, or how much time has passed between when Haywood left him there and now.

His and Mogar's cell is pitch black when the door to it opens, though, so Vav thinks it's fairly safe to say he was in that other cell all afternoon.

The guard pushes him in, not even bothering to remove the zip tie cutting into Vav's wrists before slamming the door behind him. Vav stumbles, but someone catches him.

"What did he do to you?" Mogar asks, guiding Vav down to the floor as Vav's knees give out.

"Mogar?" Vav asks, shifting to peer up at him.

"He hurt you." Mogar says, fingertips gently tracing along the cut on Vav's arm. Vav hisses in pain, and Mogar's hand retreats. It returns to cup Vav's jaw, tilting it up as Mogar asks, "What else did he do?"

Vav shakes his head weakly. "Just wanna sleep." he says. He can't see Mogar's face clearly in the dark, but the hand on Vav's uninjured arm grips him slightly tighter.

"Alright." Mogar finally says. His hand disappears from Vav's face, and a moment later the zip tie snaps, freeing Vav's wrists. He slumps forward against Mogar, bringing his arms forward to clutch at Mogar's sides.

Mogar picks him up carefully and moves him to the cot. But when he sets Vav down, all Vav can think of is the sight of his blood on a mattress just like this one. He shudders and shifts away from it, almost falling to the floor. Mogar catches him again and helps him down, and Vav curls up on the cold floor, hissing at the pain in his left shoulder as he lies on it, but refusing to roll over because then he'd be facing the cot.

Lying on his back next to Vav, Mogar pulls him until Vav is lying partly on top of him, his head rested on Mogar's chest and the pressure on his shoulder relieved.

Mogar's hand comes to rest on Vav's back, under the wound on his shoulder blade. "I'm sorry." Mogar murmurs.

Vav shudders again, the first sob escaping him. Mogar's other arm comes to wrap around him, pulling Vav closer as he shakes and sobs.

Warmth blooms in Vav's shoulder, and he buries his face into Mogar's chest to try and escape the orange light that appears. Mogar shushes him, one hand coming up to run through Vav's hair. "It's okay, Vav. Sleep. I won't let anything else happen to you. I swear on my life."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> character is threatened with a knife, and cut up a bit; the cuts themselves are not described in this chapter. a bunch of verbal threats are made. blood is described briefly in a few sentences.


End file.
